Car coupling means for toy trains



NW. 25, 1969 M. w. PANKQW CAR COUPLING MEANS FOR TOY TRAINS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1967 INVEN TOR. MEL V/N M FAA (0 V,

Nov. 25, 1969 M. w. PANKOW 3,479,765

CAR COUPLING MEAN FOR TOY TRAINS Filed Jan. 6, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet Z INVENTOR. M54 z///\/ 11/. emu 06 BY I 47- Toe/v5 Ya United States Patent 3,479,765 (JAR COUPLING MEANS FOR TOY TRAINS Melvin W. Pankow, 1517 Central Ave., Sandusky, Ohio 44870 Filed Jan. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 607,780 Int. Cl. A63h 33/26 US. Cl. 46-242 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy train car coupling device remotely disengageable from a coupled position comprising a coupling supporting fixture for attachment to a toy car, a coupling arm having one end horizontally pivoted in said fixture and having coupling means formed at the other end, said coupling means comprising an upwardly directed flange and a downwardly directed latch member. Magnetic means are also provided to assist in both the coupling and uncoupling operations.

This invention relates to means for automatically coupling the cars of toy trains and for uncoupling the same by remote control means.

It is an object of this invention to provide coupling means as aforesaid which will resist intercar thrust as well as pull and will be fully effective, whether pulling or pushing, as the cars make a turn.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a coupling means as aforesaid automatically engageable upon pushing one car into contact with an adjacent car.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a coupling means as aforesaid which may readily be uncoupled by remote control means and in which, following uncoupling, separation of the cars automatically restores the coupling means to condition for recoupling operations.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of two cars showing the bufiing means of the coupling device in engagement;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the parts making up one of the coupling devices;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation showing two cars about to engage their respective couplers;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the couplers actually engaged;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, partly in section, showing the couplers engaged as they would be in forward or pulling motion of the cars; and

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the moment of disengagement between the couplers and the means for disengaging.

The growth of interest in toy or model trains over the past several years has resulted in a very considerable development of the entire art and, more particularly, has created certain criteria for the performance of automatic couplings. In the first place, coupling action should take place when two cars are brought into juxta posed contact and the couplings should be as nearly as possible infallible. Secondly, the coupling must remain effective, whether the cars are being pushed or pulled by the locomotive. Third, the cars whether being pushed or pulled must be able to negotiate turns. Fourth, the couplings of each car should be identical at both ends, that is, they should not be formed as rights and lefts. Lastly, it must be possible to disengage any particular pair of couplers by remote control and the disengagement 3,479,765 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 should be as nearly infallible in operation as the coupling act itself. The present invention meets these criteria practically 100% and yet the parts are cheap, easy to manufacture and easy of installation, particularly by the do it yourself model train enthusiast. This latter is by no means an unimportant consideration.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a car 10 having wheels 12 in juxtaposed relationship to a car 14 having wheels 16. Each car has a coupling device, the two devices being identical and each device is indicated generally by the numeral 18.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, which is an exploded view of one of the couplers 18, the element is an adaptor which may or may not be used, depending on the make of the car to which the coupler 18 is to be applied. The element 22, referred to herein as a coupling supporting fixture, is the part which actually is attached to the toy or model cars 10 and 14. It comprises a body portion 24 in which is formed a transverse groove 26 of circular cross-sectionv A rectangular groove 28 is formed near its front end, and a step portion 30 overlies the groove 28. A- protruding buffer member 32 having an arcuate outer edge serrated at 34 is formed at the front end of the member 22. A magneto-permeable member 36 having an arcuate edge 38 is secured to the underside of the buffer member 32 in such position that its arcuate edge 38 underlies the arcuate edge of the buffer 32 but does not interfere with the serrations 34.

A coupling arm 40 has at one end transversely extending cylindrical arms 42 for reception in the groove 26 of the fixture 22. At its opposite end, the arm 40 has a spatula 44 with an arcuate edge 46 formed as a flange protruding above the level of the arm 40 and the spatula 44. A notch 48 is formed in the end of the arm 40 to receive a permanent magnet 50. When the magnets 50 approach each other, as in FIGURE 4, one or the other is repelled to avoid a direct hit, and thus to assure coupling as hereinafter described.

When the arm 42 of the coupler arm 40 is pivotally received in the groove 26 of the fixture 22, it is sustained by a band 52 which preferably is an ordinary rubber band and which bears in the groove 28 of fixture 22 and against the shoulder 30 of that fixture.

As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 4-7, each of the spatulas 44 has, on its undersurface, a hook formation 54 which, like the arcuate flange 46, has a rearwardly inclined camming surface designated in FIGURES 4 through 7 as 56. In FIGURE 4, the car 10 is stationary and car 14 approaches it in the direction of the arrow. As above noted, magnetic repulsion prevents a direct hit between magnets 50. In FIGURE 5, cars 10 and 14 have come into such juxtaposition that the serrated portions 34 of the buffers 32 of the two cars are in contact and hook 54 of one of the spatulas 44 has cammed upwardly over the flange 46 of the opposite coupling. Now, when car 14 moves forward in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 6, the hook 54 of car 14 engages in back of the flange 46 of the car 10, producing a coupling engagement, and because of the narrow width of the hook 54, it can easily travel around in the arcuate flange 46 of the car 10 in case the two cars negotiate a turn.

FIGURE 7 represents a condition when uncoupling is desired. Car 14 has been backed in the direction of the arrow against car 10 until the parts have assumed the position shown in FIGURE 5. In FIGURE 7, the wheels 12 and 16 of cars 10 and 14 rest on rails of a model train track, the rails resting on ties 72, the ties 72 being supported by a table 74. An airline 76 penetrates the table 74 between a pair of ties 72 at approximately the center of the track, and the couplers 18 of the cars 10 and 14 are approximately centered over the exit orifice 78 of the tube 76. The tube 76 is connected by an extension 76' of any suitable length to a simple bulb or other manipulative device 78. When the bulb 78 is compressed, a jet of air emerges through the orifice 78 and lifts the uppermost spatula 44 of the car 14 into engagement with the fixed magnet 38 of the car 10. The attraction between permanent magnet 50 and the permeable member 36 is sufficient to restrain the arm 40 of the car 14 from dropping out of the position shown in FIGURE 7. If then car 14 be moved in the direction, the reverse of that of the arrow of FIGURE 7, the car 10- will remain stationary and the permanent magnet 50 of coupling18 of car 14 will be dragged away from the permanent magnet 36 of car 10, thereby dropping the coupling arm 40 to its normal position, as shown in FIG- URE 4, and the device is ready for a recoupling operation. This uncoupling operation can be carried out with the cars in motion, with separation of the cars taking place after uncoupling whenever the direction of the train changes.

It will be noted from the foregoing detailed description that the criteria above set forth have been very thoroughly met. The coupling is effective whether the cars are being pushed or pulled and whether on straight-away track or around turns; the couplings are identical at each end of each car and uncoupling is simply and quickly achieved by remote control. Moreover, the parts shown in FIGURE 3 may be completely assembled before the unit 18, as a unit, is joined to the car. This is a not inconsiderable advantage where do it yourself artists are concerned.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for coupling the cars of toy trains comprising: a coupling supporting fixture attached to a toy car; the opposite ends of each coupling arm having one end horizontally pivoted in said fixture and having coupling means formed at the other end, said coupling means comprising an upwardly directed flange and a downwardly directed latch member.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said flange has a camming surface as its forward face.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, including a per manent magnet on said arm adjacent said coupling means to effect vertical displacement of said coupling means immediately prior to engagement of said coupling means.

.4. A device as set forth in claim 1, including a buffer member formed as part of said fixture and overlying the coupling means of said coupling arm.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, including a permanent magnet mounted on said arm adjacent said coupling means, a magneto-permeable member secured to the underside of said buffer member adapted to slidingly secure a permanent magnet mounted on an opposed device on another car during uncoupling of said coupling means.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, including means for uncoupling said coupling means of said device from an oppositely engaging coupling means of another device, said uncoupling means eifecting engagement of the permanent magnet of said coupling means with the magneto-permeable member of the buffer member of said opposed device.

.7. A device as set forth in claim 6, in which said uncoupling means is pneumatic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,338,429 8/ 1967 Zetzsche 46-216 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,160,767 1/ 1964 Germany.

ANTONIO F. GUIDA, Primary Examiner ROBERT F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 46218 

